Sound-reproducer.



R. BL SMITH.

SOUND REPEODUGER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11, 1900.

925,846. Patented June 22, 1909.

WITNESSES l/VVENIOI? ATTORNEYS RICHARD BARTHOLOMEW SMIII'I OF NEW YORK. N. Y. I

SOUND-REPBODUGER. v

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 11, 1909.

Patented June 22, 1909.

Serial No. 471,768.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD BARTHOLO- MEW SMITH, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Sounddteproducer, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descri tion. V

y invention relates to sound reproducers, my more particular purposes being as follows: I, to increase the sensitiveness of the stylus lever as regards its movement toward and from the general position occupied by the diaphragm; II, to increase the sensitivenessof the stylus lever as regards its pivotal movement in a direct-ion approximately parallel with the diaphragm; III, to facilitate the ready interchange of different jewels or other record points, so that by the simple action of a movable part one-of these jewels or points may be instantly substituted for another; IV, to reduce the friction of the various parts supporting the stylus lever; V, to provide a stylus lever with a plurality of jewels or other record points, and to enable the same to be used independently; VI, to provide an indicator for disclosing which particular jewel or other record point is in proper position to be used; VII, to enable the same stylus leverto be played with various records having different types of sound grooves, by merely throwing one jewel or record point out of service and an other one into service, both jewels or points being. ermanently carried by the stylus lever; III, to rovide various details of construction looking toward the general improvement of the reproducer.

' Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which simllar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a substantially central section through a reproducer provided with my various' improvements; Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section'through the swivel joint for supporting the stylus lever; Fig. 3 is a view partly in section .and partly in elevation, showing the swivel for supporting the stylus lever; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section showing the stylus lever and the means carried by it for supporting a plurality of jewels or other record points; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary inverted plan showing the under side of the weight and a portion of the stylus lever car- I ried thereby; Fig. 6 is a side elevation show ing the point carrier removed from the stylus lever; and Fig. 7 is a plan view of another form of stylus lever.

A dome 8 is provided with a neck 9 and with a cylindrical portion 10, the dome and cylindrical or tion together comprising a casing. A c iaphragm is shown at 12 and is engaged by rings 13, 14 of resilient material. At 15 is a weight which is mounted upon a pivot 16 and is fprovided with a fiat portion 17 having the orm of a disk and having a central hole 18 directly through it. The disk 17 is further provided with an aperture 19 and with a hole 20 which merges into this aperture. A tubular sleeve 20* is threaded at its lower end and fitted with a nut 20 which engages a washer 20. The tubular sleeve 20 is provided with an annular flange 21 and extending into the latter and adjustable relatively to the same is a screw 22. The annular flange 21 engages a washer 20. The washers 20., 20 aremade of leather, soft rubber or the like and serve as. cushions. The upper end of the tubular sleeve 20 is provided with a bearing 23 having generally the form of a disk and provided with a concave bearing surface 24.

A swivel stem 25' is provided with an annular slot 26and is further provided with a conical end 27, this conical end being preferably made of hardened steel. The conical end engages directly the concave face 24. The lower end of the swivel stem 25 is fashioned into a fork 28 and this fork supports a bearing sleeve 29. Mounted rigidly uplon this bearing sleeve is a stylus lever 30 w ich is provided with an upturned portion 30", the stylus lever thus having generally an L-shaped form. A link 3O engages the u turned end 30' and is connectedwith t e diaphragm 12. Conical pointed screws 31, 32 extend through the fork 28 and into the ends of the bearing sleeve 29.- By this rrangement the stylus lever 30 is very de'licately oised, and consequently quite sensitive. The ends of, the bearing sleeve 29 merely touch the conical pointed screws 31, 32,as indicated in Fig. 3,s0 that the stylus lever has comparatively little lost motion relative to the screws 31, 32.

The stylus lever 30 is provided with atail piece 33 integral with it and having generally the form of a sector, as indicated in Fig. '4. Mounted upon the stylus lever '30 and co-axial with the sector 33 1s a pivot 34 which supports a movable sector 35. This movab e sector carries sleeves 36-, 37, and mounted withinthe latter are jewel holders 38, 39 provided with jewels or record points 40, 41,

' which may be of different sizes and otherwise of different character. For instance, the member 40 may be a sapphire, whereas the member 41 may be a tantalum point. The sector 35 is further rovided with a lug 42 and mounted upon the latter is a leaf spring 43 having. generally an arcuate form. This 7 leaf spring at its outer or free end carries a lug 44 which extends toward the adjacent edge of the sector 33 and is adapted to'slip into either of the bowl-sha ed openings 45, 46, so as to hold the movab e sector 35 temporarily in fixed position relatively to the sector 33.

.An indicating needle 47 is mounted rigidly upon the sector 35and may be used-for turning the same upon the pivot 34. The needle 47 has thus a general arcuate path of travel, and disposed adjacent to this path of travel are legends 100, 200 (see Fig. 5). When thearts are in suchposition that the needle 47 is directed toward the legend 100 the jewel or record point is in position to engage a record, and when the needle 47 is adjacent to the legend 200 the point or record 41 is similarly in position for engaging the record.

Since, as above indicated, the jewel or record point 40 may bear sapphire, it may be employed in connection with a record having say 100 threads to theinch, the smaller jewel or record point 41 being suitable for records having say 200 threads to the inch. By shifting the'jewels or record points, which is done by simply turning the-sector 35 and adjusting the needle 47 relatively to the legends 100 or 200, I am thereby enabled to present the kind of jewel or record point suitable for use with one kind of record having a large number of threads per inch, and by merely turning the sector 35 I can present with a record of a different kind and having a smaller number of threads-tothe inch. Hence, intaking oil. a record of one kind and putting on a record of another kind, I merely turn the sector 35.

In Fig. 7 I show another form of stylus lever 48. The latter is provided at its outer end with a sector 49 integral with it and having generally an arcuate form. The stylus lever 48 is provided .a bearing ceases from that shown in Fig. 4 mainly in the rel- I ative' positions of the pivots 34, 51, as comared wlth the bearing sleeves 29, 50. In 1g. 4 the pivot 34 15 intermediate the sector 33 and the bearing sleeve 29, whereas in-Fig.

7 the bearing sleeve 50 is intermediate the pivot 51 and the sector 49. In other respects the stylus lever shown in Fig. 4 is similar to that shown in Fig, 7. I

' If it should happen that the sector 35 is av little diiiicult. to turnrelative to the sector 33, the stylus lever 30, by swinging freely upon its vertical axis, causes the upturned portion 30 to engage the weight 18,,and this renders the stylus needle sufficiently rigid for the moment to enable the operator to turn.

the sector 35. In other words, the inner surface of the hole 18 serves as a limiting stop for preventing excessive rotary travelof the stylus lever 30. I have found that the upturned portion 3O (see Fig. 2) gives the stylus lever 30 a considerable advantage. The link 30", by pulling upwardly upon the end of the upturned portion 30? at the time when the jewel or record point 40 I is in engagement with a record, renders positive the motion of the stylus lever 30 and prevents lost motion in this lever. i.

have found that the best results take place" when the action between the link 30 and the upturned portion 30f takes place at /a point slightly below an imaginary line extending from tliin. jewel or record. point 453,

and also through the axis of the bearing sleeve 29, as will beunderstood from Fig. 2, the point of connection in question, however. being above the upper edge of the stylus lever 30.

The conical point 27 of the pivot stem 29, engaging, as it does, the bearing face 24 at the geometrical center ofthe same and being of hardened steel, oifers a minimumv of friction as regards the turning of the swivel stem 25. This stemis not readily lost or re:

moved from the sleeve 20 for the reason that the screw 22 normally holds it in proximate position. The outer surface of the swivel stem 25 and the inner surface of the bearing sleeve 20 are exceedingly smooth, so as to offer a minimum of friction. The wearing plate 23 prevents entrance of dirt or grit beneath the bearing plate 23, and the delicate bearings contained within the hearing sleeve 20 are thus thoroughly protected.

The purpose of the washers 20, 26 serving as cushions, s to improve the quality of the sounds reproduced and to avoid the socalled scratchingw hich'is so objectionable in machines of this character. As the vsreight 15 is to a great-extent free while the machine is in action, there'is more or less tendency for this weight to be setin motion by thesound'vibrations. The weight has an especial tendency to receive vibratory 'motions from the stylus lever and thus to not only set ialsesounds by the weight acting to some extent like a diaphragm, but also in doin this, to absorb "the power of the stylus need e. p In turning the sector 35 upon the pivot 34 there is more or less unavoidable tendency to tu-rn'the lever 30 upon; the axis of the swivel stem 25 as a center. Since, however,

' the'upturned portion 38 of the stylus lever extends into the hole 18, and sinceany rotation ofthe stylus lever upon the swivel stem 25 of'the-center causes the link 30 to incline and thus draw .the upturned portion 38 slightly upward, it necessarily follows that the upturned portion '38en ages the inner wall of-the flat plate 17 so t at the hole 18 limits t e possible travel of the stylus lever.

This arrangement isvery convenient for the reason that the operatorin turning the sector might accidentally throw a considerablestrain upon the diaphragm 12 except for the fact't'h'at unduerotation of the stylus lever is thus limited by the size of the hole 18.

'Tlie washers 20", 20 eflectively cut oii, as far aspracticable, all rigid mechanical communication between the wei ht 15 and the stylus 'lever30, seem the VEHMJIOIIS of this lever a're not absorbed by the weight, but are transmitteddirectly to the diaphragm, and any ao'cidental'inotion which may influence theweight is "not transmitted to the diaphiagm. The net result is that this arrangement greatly reduces the scratching and improves the quality' and purity of the tones. he sounds reproduced are therefore much Having thus described my invention, I

claim as newand'desireto secure by Letters Patent-z A 1. The combination of a weight, a stylus lever mounted-thereupon and free to rock an'dal'softofttirn, stylus lever being pro vided with an upturnedportion, a link connected withsaidupturned portion for the pin ose ofjrenderin'gi positive the motions of saic styhislever,and 'means for sup o-rting a jew l upo'i'f'a 'Jortion of said stylus ever op-' posite s'a'id'upturnedportion.

'A-I'sound" reproducer, comprising a weight,abearing sleeve mounted upon the same, a -swivel stem extending into said bearing sleeve and provided with a conical lever supports rew a hearing tending into said hole, means for securing said bearing sleeve rigidly in relation to said supporting member, a screw extending into said bearing sleeve, a swivel stem extbnding into said bearing sleeve and adapted to be engagedby said screw for the pur ose of preventing the removal of said swivelstem from said bearing sleeve, and a stylus lever connected with said swivel stem and supported thereby.

4. A sound reproducer, comprising a stylus lever, a swivel stein connected there; with and provided with a conical point, a

bearing surface connected with said bearing sleeve and engaging said conical point, and,

means for normally preventing the removal of said swivel stem from said bearing sleeve.

5. In asound reproducer, the combination of a stylus lever, a bearing sleeve connected therewith, said bearing sleeve having open ends, conical pointed members extending into said open ends, andmeans for support ing said conical pointed members.

6. In a sound reproducer, the combination of a stylus lever, a bearing sleeve extending directly through the. same and having gen-' erally a tubular form, a fork having portions disposed upon op osite sides of said stylus lever, and conica ended screws extending through said portions of said fork' and into 7. A device of the character deseribed, f

ooniprising'a stylus leve r provided Witlra opposite ends of said bearing sleeve.

tail piece flattened out and having substam .tially the form of a sector, said sectorjbeing provided with openings disposedupon its peripheral edge, a second sector movable relatively to said, first-mentioned secton'and pivotally'mounted uponsaid stylus lever,

means for turning said second-mentioned sector, a locking member carried bysaid -second-mentioned sectorand provided with a portion for entering said openings inorder to lock said sectors rigidly n relation toeach other, and jewels carried by said secondinentioned sector and disposed upon difien ent portions thereof.

8. A device of the character described,

comprising a styluslever, a bearing sleeve for supporting the same, a sector carried by said stylus lever and immovable relatively to the same, and another sector carried by said stylus lever and movable relatively to the latter, the movable sector being connected with said stylus lever by aid of a ivot disposed intermediate said bearing s eeve and the outer edges of said sectors.

9. In a-sound reproducer, a stylus leverprovided with a sector having generally an arcuate form, and further provided with a bearin .sleeve and Withapivot,-said bearing sleeve ein'g disposed intermediate said pivot and said sector.

10. In a sound reproducer, the combina- I tion of a diaphragm, a stylus lever for actu- .ating the same, a weight for pressing said stylus lever toward the sound record, and a cushion disposed intermediate said Weight and said stylus lever for the purpose of deadening the travel of sound vibrations there between. I

11. In a soundreproducer, the combination of a weight, astylus lever journaled upon said weight, and a cushion engaging said stylus lever and said weight for the purpose of preventing said weight from aflecting the sound vibrations of said stylus lever.

12. The combination of a weight, a stylus lever journaled thereupon, and a Washer of sound deadening material engaging said Wei ht for the purpose of preventing u'ndesira le motions thereof from affecting movements of said stylus lever.

13. In a sound reproducer, the combina tion of a weight, a sleeve connected therewith, sound deadening material disposed intermediate said weight and said sleeve for the purpose of destroying vibrations, a supporting member ournaled within said sleeve,

and a stylus lever journaled upon said supporting member.

14. The combination of a stylus lever, a stem for supporting the same, a sleeve engaging said stem and serving as a bearing therefor, a supporting member for holding said sleeve, and a cushion disposed intermediate said supporting member and said sleeve for the purpose of preventing the travel of sound vibrations therebetween.

1 5.- The combination of a stylus lever, a bearing upon which said stylus lever is journaled, a sector mounted upon said stylus lever and adapted to turn relatively thereto, said sector extending outwardly away from said bearing, and a member mounted upon said sector for the purpose of' engaging a sound record.

16. The combination of a stylus lever, a bearing upon which said stylus lever is journaled, a sector mounted upon said stylus lever and adapted to turn relatively thereto, said sector extending outwardly away from said bearing, and a plurality of record 1points mounted upon said sector and adapte to be brought one at a time into a predetermined 17. In a sound reproducer, the combination of a stylus lever, a support therefor, a

sector revolubly mounted upon said stylus lever and adapted to turn upon an axis, said sector extending outwardly away from said support for said stylus lever, and a record point mounted upon said sector.

18. The combination of a stylus. lever mounted to rock upon an axis, a member mounted u on said stylus lever and adapted to be turner into different positions relatively thereto, said member extending in a general direction outwardly away from said ,axis upon which said stylus lever is mounted, and aplurality of record points mounted upon different parts of said movable member and adapted to be brought one at a time into positions opposite to said axis from the center of rotation of said sector.

19. The combination of a stylus lever mounted to rock upon an axis, a member movably mounted upon said stylus lever and extending in a general direction toward said axis, said member being adapted to be turned angularly into different positions, a plurality 'of record points mounted upon said member and adapted to be brought one at a time to a position opposite the axis of said stylus lever from the support of said member, and means for locking said member in differentjpositions relatively to said stylus lever. I

.20. The combination of a diaphragm, a stylus lever in operative relation to the same, a stem upon which said stylus lever is journaled, a weight for supporting said stem, a

cushion mounted upon said weight, and mechanism disposed intermediate said cushion and said stem for deadening sound vibrations.

means for connecting the same with a diaphragm, a movable member mounted upon said stylus lever-and adapted to turn in a lane crossing the plane in which said stylus ever normally rocks, record points mounted.

naled, so as to rock in two-planes crossing each other, said supporting memberjbeing provided with an opening into which said upturned portion extends for the purpose of preventingsaid stylus lever from turning beyond certain limits in one of said planes, a diaphragm, and. means for transmitting motion from said upturned end of said stylus lever to said diaphragm.

24. The combinationof a weight pfovided with a central opening, a stylus'lever journaled u on said weight and ada ted to turn in a p ane substantially parall l with the general plane of said weight, said stylus" lever being provided with an upturned portion extending into said opening so. that said weight 21. The combination of a stylus lever,

serves as a limiting stop forpreventing exmews-.

of said stylus lever to said iaphragm;

25. The combination of a weight, a st lus lever journaled thereupon and ada tee to turn, a sector j ournaled upon said sty us lever and adapted to turn upon a center independently of the axis of rotation. of said stylus levely andrmeans for preventing excessive travel'of saidfstylus lever relatively to said.

weight when said sector is turned by hand, and a record point mounted upon said sector -and adapted to be brought into a predetermined position by the rotation of said sector. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD BARIHOLOMEW SMITH. Witnessese WALTON HARRISON, EVERARD B. MARSHALL. 

